Industry News
The Grande Motte glacier in Tignes, France, reopens its slopes for summer skiing this weekend, joining Val d’Isère and four other Alpine glacier ski areas offering limited summer operations. The resort plans a four-week season from June 21 to July 20, providing up to 12 miles (20 kilometers) of glacier runs between 8,937 feet (2,724 meters) and 11,338 feet (3,456 meters).
This reopening brings to six the number of glacier ski areas currently accessible in the Alps, including Austria’s Hintertux, France’s Les 2 Alpes and Val d’Isère, Italy’s Passo Stelvio and Cervinia, and Switzerland’s Zermatt. Tignes and Val d’Isère, which opened earlier this month, offer summer skiing on their respective glaciers, with Val d’Isère’s Pisaillas glacier accessible from June 8 to July 7.
Despite the availability of summer skiing, the Alps are contending with a significant heatwave pushing the freezing level above 13,100 feet (4,000 meters). This warm weather is impacting glacier conditions and may affect the duration and quality of the summer ski season.
Tignes’ Grande Motte glacier features slopes near 9,800 feet (3,000 meters) and supports not only downhill skiing but also cross-country trails and glacier hikes. Skiers can enjoy panoramic views of iconic peaks such as Mont Pourri, Grande Sassière, Grande Casse, and even Mont Blanc from the resort’s panoramic terrace.
In Scandinavia, Norway maintains two glacier ski areas open—Galdhøpiggen Summer Ski Area and Stryn Glacier—while Sweden’s Riksgransen reopens this weekend for the summer solstice, according to Planet Ski. Meanwhile, southern hemisphere resorts have also opened with favorable snow conditions.
The Tignes summer ski season operates daily with lifts running until early afternoon, though all dates remain subject to change based on snow and weather conditions.
